JAMA+ AI Conversations Seeing Health Through the Eye and AI
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Jan 15, 2026 Dr. Cecilia Lee, a distinguished ophthalmologist from Washington University in St. Louis, delves into how retinal imaging powered by AI can unveil significant health insights. She explains oculomics and the deep connections between eye health and systemic conditions. The podcast highlights challenges like standardization and data privacy while showcasing innovative ideas such as using smartphones for widespread retinal screening. Dr. Lee also discusses the potential of retinal biomarkers in predicting cognitive decline, emphasizing the need for collaboration in this groundbreaking field.
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Eye As A Window To The Brain
- The retina is neural tissue closely related to the brain and shares genes and vasculature.
- Retinal imaging gives microscopic, noninvasive views that can reveal systemic and brain health signals.
Retinal Imaging Predicts Vascular Disease
- Optical coherence tomography and fundus photos let clinicians visualize capillaries and vascular health at micron resolution.
- These images can predict cardiovascular outcomes like myocardial infarction and stroke from retinal features.
Standardize Data And Build Implementation Paths
- Standardize imaging protocols and storage to enable AI development and cross-device use.
- Build infrastructure and implementation pathways early to close the gap between research and clinical deployment.